Uganda: Police Arrest Suspected Suicide Bomber

Police in Busia District have arrested a suspected suicide bomber linked to the Somali militant group, al-Shabaab who bombed Kampala in 2010 and killed nearly 80 people.

The suspect was intercepted by security operatives at the border as he entered Uganda.

The suspect, Mohamed Abdi Ali was arrested at the immigration offices after the security alert system in their computer signalled him as one of the wanted terror suspects attached to the al-Shabaab.

The suspected terrorist claims he was en route to South African through Uganda. He was coming from the neighbouring Kenya.

“We have arrested Mohamed Ali, a suspected terrorist as he entered the country from Kenya aboard one of the buses,” he said before declining to reveal more details.

Police authorities said the suspected terrorist, who is being held at Busia Police Station, was heading to Kampala before travelling to South Africa.

Mr Nahabwe said the suspected terrorist will be transferred to Kampala Counter Terrorism headquarters for interrogation.

On July 11 2010, Uganda suffered twin bomb attacks when bombs went off at two entertainment spots, killing nearly 80 people watching the soccer World Cup final and injuring several others. Al-Qaeda affiliated Somali militant group, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.

Uganda provides the bulk of soldiers who form the African Union Mission in Africa (Amisom), which is propping up Somalia Transitional Federal Government led by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

Mohamed Ali Abdi is a Somali national who holds a Kenyan Identity Card numbered 28060240 had his name highlighted by the Uganda security on June 21, 2014, as one of the terrorists.

Highly placed security sources at the border, told the Daily Monitor that the suspect, who had booked onto a Crown Bus at the Nairobi terminal at about 11:56 am yesterday, was found with a temporary travel document issued by Kenyan immigration offices.

Security is raising questions as to how a man who has been travelling severally from South Africa would have resorted to using temporary travel documents.